Jockeys hit by suspensions at Caulfield

October 21, 2017 - 07:54 PM

A procession of jockeys made their way to the stewards' room following the Caulfield Cup, leading to three careless riding suspensions and a whip breach.

Ten jockeys were quizzed with five suspended or fined while the other five were called as witnesses.

Harshest hit was Ben Melham who was suspended for careless riding on the $5 favourite Johannes Vermeer which finished third.

Melham was suspended for 12 meetings for causing interference to Joao Moreira's mount Wicklow Brave near the 500m.

Kathy O'Hara and Hong Kong-based Chad Schofield were each suspended for 10 meetings over separate incidents.

O'Hara was outed for causing interference on runner-up Single Gaze on the home turn while Schofield was banned for forcing a run on Harlem approaching the 200m that led to Jon Snow being checked.

Both suspensions commence after riding commitments on Sunday.

Ben Allen received his second suspension for a whip infringement at Caulfield in the space of eight days after riding Lord Fandango into fourth place.

He was suspended for six meetings last Saturday while he received a 10 meeting ban for using the whip on 11 occasions before the 100m aboard Lord Fandango.

"I got a bit excited that I was going to win the Caulfield Cup," Allen told Racing Victoria stewards.

Hugh Bowman was fined $1000 for returning in excess of a half-kilogram over his allotted weight aboard sixth-placed Marmelo.

Joaoa Moreira will miss two Hong Kong meetings after riding at Sha Tin on Sunday following a careless riding suspension in the Ethereal Stakes while Damien Lane (10 meetings) and John Allen (11 meetings) also incurred careless riding bans.